Postgame Quotes: Vols 71, Auburn 63

Jan. 31, 2015

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(Opening statement)
"Obviously, tonight was a big game in terms of Bruce Pearl returning. I never talked about it with my team, though. I would like to say how much I respect him. Their team was picked eighth or ninth in the preseason SEC poll, but he has them playing like an upper-tier team in regards to toughness and how they are playing. Tonight was certainly a 40 minute battle and could have went the other way. From about the six-minute mark on, the best thing our team did was not settle for jumpers. We were relentless in our mentality to drive the basketball."

(On what the game meant)
"The way I approach every game is as nervous as you could ever be, and I feel like it is all on the line every single game. That is just how I am built. It was probably more important to our fans because for the return of coach Pearl. We just approached this game as our players and our team versus his players and his team."

(On a comparison of teams)
"He had some great teams, and I don't think we have the two or three NBA guys in our lineup like he did at one time. I think our team is long and athletic, and we play hard for the most part like his teams of the past did and like his current team does."

(On being worried about the team at home)
"To start the second half, guys were a little apprehensive. With a young team, there is no way to get through that other than to keep playing games. As they get confidence, the game begins to slow down for them. I felt like we were trying a little too hard, so I called a timeout to regroup."

(On the players picking up on the fans' emotions)
"We certainly didn't talk about it as a staff. In today's world, with Twitter and social media, you can't avoid knowing what the situation is, so I am sure they did. We did not bring that up at all, though."

(On rebounding)
"Our goal is always to be plus six or eight, depending on who we are playing. Bowers is a monster down low, and he is hard to keep off the glass. He had eight rebounds but seven were offensive. Overall, to outbound them by eight, that is a testament to grit and toughness, and nobody embodies that more than Armani."

(On if this Armani's best game)
"It is pretty tough to top 19 points and 13 rebounds. He's had some big games. The thing about Armani is that he is consistent in his effort, not just on game night but in practice. There is a reason he puts on the numbers that he does because he does it everyday in practice just like today."

(On Owens' minutes)
"He is getting better. We threw him in against Arkansas. He did some good things in that game. He is obviously a guy who needs to get stronger, but he isn't soft. He is not a soft kid at all; he is just light. He is just getting better. He hasn't hung his head about not playing, which is a tribute to him. I have had guys in the beginning of the year who don't check in and hit game winning shots at the end of the year to go to the NCAA tournament. I've also had guys starting at the beginning of the year who aren't checking in by the tournament. He is staying the course, and I think he is going to get better and better."

(On teaching moment with Tariq Owens after his technical foul)
"We talked endlessly three days before the scout. It was literally part of our scouting report that (Cinmeon) Bowers is an intense guy. He will create some drama, if you will. He is a great player, but he is going to be emotional. You can't get caught up in any of that stuff. For the most part, other than that instance we didn't a pretty good job. I thought when Armani (Moore) got fouled by (Trayvon) Reed it was a pretty physical play. He could have tried to jump up and retaliate or whatever it may be. He just stayed the course. We ended up getting the intentional foul."

(On what this game meant to the fans)
"I think first and foremost our fans love Coach Pearl. I get that. I'm not insecure about that at all. I have said this repeatedly. The people at Morehead State and Hattiesburg feel that way about me and my staff. That is just the way it is when you have success. They should have welcomed Coach Pearl like they did with a great ovation. They should be excited to see him because what he did here was great. It was a great run. What I have said since I took over is there are Coach Martin fans, that is cool no problem with that. There are Coach Pearl fans, that is cool no problem with that. We are all Tennessee fans, so let's jump onboard and support the players and our program. I think our fans have done an unbelievable job at that."

(On Butch Jones coming into the student section and One Tennessee)
"Butch has been unbelievable since I have been here. As most of you know, we have become pretty good friends. I didn't realize he did that until you just told me, but for him to do that, that just speaks volumes of what type of person he is. He has no ego. He is just a regular ole guy. For him to do that to try to help us is pretty cool."

(On matching up with a player like Cinmeon Bowers)
"In our zone you can kind of avoid getting mismatched, so it is not like he is down there trying to guard on the post. The thing about Armani (Moore) on the other end when he was matched up with a big guy we kept putting those guys in pick and pop or pick and roll situations. If you throw back to Armani or slip it to the corner now you got a big guy closing out to them and they can't keep them in front. So he is able to drive the ball or get fouled. At the other end with Bowers we said we had to gain rebound which meant three or four guys might have to hit every possession. I don't think we did a great job of that for the most part. To out rebound that team, it was a pretty good number."

(On the rotation of having five guys with 30+ minutes)
"It is not what I like but that is the case. Detrick (Mostella) didn't play a lot tonight. Willie (Carmichael III) played less in large part because Tariq (Owens) is playing more. It is that time of year literally every possession can be the difference between being a bubble team or getting a NIT bid. You got to go with the guys that you feel like are playing well. Ideally I would like to play nine, but for the most part tonight we played seven. It worked. I thought our guys were fresh. I didn't see anyone out there just exhausted. If Detrick and Willie keep practicing like they have, they will get there another chance at some point and time."

(On perhaps wearing Auburn down from shooting 50 percent in the last few minutes)
"We certainly like to think we did. That is always our game plan and being on our home floor that certainly helps with that. The crowd gives you a little bit of that extra energy. That is a tough team. I thought they competed. Maybe the last three or four minutes that was the case. I'm not sure, but we found a way to get the win. That was encouraging."

(On "DT" drinking cup making an appearance as a fathead in the student section)
"Someone just showed me a picture of it. I don't hear or see much during the game, but I guess I better get that copyrighted."

Tennessee Guard Josh Richardson

(On energy in the arena in regards to Bruce Pearl's return)
"I didn't really know how it was going to go down, but we just felt the excitement and the energy that the crowd brought. We played into it. It helped us."

(On ending the two-game skid at home)
"Yeah, it definitely was kind of a relief to get back on track. We were on that little skid of two games. I think we did a good job of practicing hard everyday. Nothing has changed at all in the locker room. I think we did a good job of coming out and playing like we know how to."

(On Donnie Tyndall's investment in the game)
"Being a new coach at a new school and playing against an old coach that did so much for the school, that the fans love so much--if he felt any pressure, I think he did a good job of not letting us see it. I just know it meant a lot to him."

(On Donnie Tyndall not addressing Pearl's return)
"Yeah, we are not oblivious. We knew what it was. He did not talk about it at all."

Tennessee Guard Kevin Punter

(On losing then gaining the momentum back in the second half)
"We just have to stay the course. They made a little run. We just had to keep playing basketball nothing more than that."

(On the crowd and if it stood out to you)
"Definitely. Bruce Pearl coming back It was a good crowd. It should always be like that all the time. It was great out there. It felt good being out on the court. The crowd was into it. It got us going"

(On the pressures of playing at home versus on the road)
"Playing at home it great. You have the crowd behind you. On the road, you can focus better because everyone is against you. Your teammates are all you have on the road. So it could go either way"

(On waking away from players that like stir others up)
"It can be hard sometimes. It can be real hard when someones just jawing at you the all the time and you're not saying anything. I think we did a good job as a team not feeding into that. Honestly it didn't really work. I know the refs called a technical foul, but it happens. Overall it didn't really work."

Forward Armani Moore

(On the physical nature of the game)
"Coming into this game, we knew they were going to come out and be real competitive. We knew they were going to be tough to guard down low. They have Bowers. He is pretty much a grown man. We just basically keyed in on him and knew that if we kept him off the glass, we probably had a good chance of winning the game."

(On surge in the second half that led to the win)
"I always say basketball is a game of runs. You can't really get down because great players can make some big time shots. Like I said earlier, our team did a great job tonight just staying poised and really keying in to what we had to do. Once they went on their run, it was over. We came back and retaliated."

(On smaller players guarding him)
"I always feel like if I have a smaller guy, I feel like it is an advantage. My teammates did a great job of finding me down low and getting the ball to me tonight, and I ended up converting."

(On offensive play)
"Part of my problem at the beginning of this season was that I would always come out and try to do a little bit too much. What I had to work on was really slowing it down and just getting into my move. Once I slowed it down and figured out exactly what I want to do, I look a whole lot better on the court."

Auburn Head Coach Bruce Pearl

(On returning to Tennessee)
"I'm really glad it was an early game and we didn't have all day to sit around and think about it. Last night I had the chance to see some friends and family and was able to raise some money for Camp Koinonia and UT Medical Center and the CL5 Foundation. That was really fun and productive to see so many friends and family that we are still in touch with.

"My impression as a visitor is this is a beautiful building, When you're here, you see it every day and you don't really appreciate it. This place is a palace and so well done."

(On Auburn's performance)
"I'm disappointed that we weren't able to finish the job. I thought we played well in stretches but Tennessee made those effort and energy plays. They're a very athletic team. They're quick and long and their speed and quickness were able to beat us to balls. That's the way my teams were. That was a huge difference."

(On the flagrant foul on Trayvon Reed)
"I'll have to look at. Maybe I'll comment afterwards, but I didn't see it. I thought he had a real good first series. The situation on the free throw line was a little push, it wasn't a big, I didn't see it. Looked like he was pushed first, he pushed second, whatever it was. I thought Trayvon pushed second and I told the official that. The second one, as the kid is coming in, I've tried to teach him to get his hands up and he kept his hands down and has a very long midsection. Because his hands were down there was contact and they saw it and therefore they called it, so I assume it was the right call."

University of Tennessee Athletics

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